AXA and Google's Niantic Labs Partner to Integrate

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AXA and Google's Niantic Labs Partner to Integrate AXA and Google’s Niantic Labs Partner to Integrate 20,000 Global Retail Agencies into Ingress’ Interactive ‘Real World’ Mobile Gameplay Experience Paris, December 16, 2014 - The AXA Group announced that it has partnered with Google’s Niantic Labs in a unique initiative integrating the global brand into Ingress, the interactive ‘real world’ mobile game. More than 20,000 retail agencies around the world will become AXA branded in-game ‘Portals’ for Ingress players to interact with using their mobile devices in the real world. AXA branded Portals are accessible today in Germany, Italy, Spain, Poland, Indonesia and Switzerland and will begin to activate in the United States, Japan and other countries in 2015. The partnership extends into Ingress’ virtual storyline allowing players to engage with the AXA branded Portal locations and portals around the world where they can find ‘AXA Shields.’ With more than 8 million player activations across 200 countries and territories worldwide, Ingress is an innovative massive multiplayer mobile game which transforms neighborhoods and cities around the world into an interactive experience filled with mystery, intrigue, and adventure. Using Google Maps technology, players move through and explore the world around them, visiting historical sites, parks, and public artworks to discover hidden 'Portals' leaking a fictional mysterious energy. The evolving story of Ingress pivots based on the actions of the players in the two Factions, the 'Enlightened' and the 'Resistance', who are engaged in a struggle for global control and the fate of humanity. While playing Ingress, players will search for and obtain virtual objects to attack or defend Portals. Shields are an integral element in protecting ingame portals and the ‘AXA Shields’ which players can obtain from AXA branded Portal locations are the strongest known protective units in the game. ‘AXA Shields’ can also be found at any existing Portal but with a higher probability at AXA Portals. Frédéric Tardy, Chief Marketing & Distribution Officer of the AXA Group, said: “We are very proud to take part in this exclusive partnership with Google’s Niantic Labs. Aligning our brand with the unique interactive experience in Ingress represents a step forward in the digitalization of our Group and a new way for our clients to discover our brand and our agencies. It is another example of our spirit innovation: AXA is now the first insurance company ever to protect people both in the physical and the virtual world.” John Hanke, General Manager of Niantic Labs at Google, said: “The partnership with AXA is a momentous integration of real world brands and interactive mobile games. The AXA brand lends itself seamlessly to Ingress’ story, giving a powerful bonus to players who discover and interact with these locations as they move through the world around them on a daily basis.” Ingress is currently available to download for free on the App Store for iPhone and iPad and on Google Play for Android devices at www.ingress.com. About the AXA Group The AXA Group is a worldwide leader in insurance and asset management, with 157,000 employees serving 102 million clients in 56 countries. In 2013, IFRS revenues amounted to Euro 91.2 billion and IFRS underlying earnings to Euro 4.7 billion. AXA had Euro 1,113 billion in assets under management as of December 31, 2013. The AXA ordinary share is listed on compartment A of Euronext Paris under the ticker symbol CS (ISN FR0000120628 – Bloomberg: CS FP – Reuters: AXAF.PA). AXA’s American Depository Share is also quoted on the OTC QX platform under the ticker symbol AXAHY. The AXA Group is included in the main international SRI indexes, such as Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI) and FTSE4GOOD. It is a founding member of the UN Environment Programme’s Finance Initiative (UNEP FI) Principles for Sustainable Insurance and a signatory of the UN Principles for Responsible Investment. About Niantic Labs Niantic Labs is a startup within Google dedicated to creating mobile apps that connect people with the real world. Founded by John Hanke, who previously helmed the Google Geo team (Maps, Earth, etc.), Niantic connects people more closely with their real world environments and communities. Niantic’s products are focused on getting people outdoors, building adventure & exploration on foot, enabling meaningful and serendipitous interactions with local environments and other people in brand new ways, through technology. Niantic Labs has launched two products so far with Field Trip and Ingress and is currently developing their next mobile game, Endgame. www.ingress.com Media Relations contacts: AXA Group Hélène Caillet: +33.1.40.75.55.51 / [email protected] Jean-Baptiste Mounier: +33.1.40.75.46.68 / [email protected] Niantic Labs Agence Minuit Douze : +33.9.82.24.54.57 Morgane Falaize: [email protected] Emeline Berthon: [email protected] .
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